I have to say this took me aback: it’s kind of like seeing your father cry for the first time, or a dog driving a car. Then, the stoic Detroit skipper teared up during an interview.

“We talked in spring training. This was a tough year for the guys because the expectations were so high and it was almost like we were set up to fail. And from Day 1 of spring training I told them …” Leyland had been talking for 13 seconds and he started to choke up and he struggled to continue. “… don’t get caught up in the expectations. Get caught up in how we’re going to live up to those expectations. And I think that’s what they’ve done.”